Euphorbia characias, was Old Faithfuls
Diane Whitehead wrote:
> I was just looking out the window at a plant that I find pleasing every day
> of the year - Euphorbia characias. I like its form, with the bulky
> presence of a rhododendron. I like its fresh blue foliage. I like the
> fact that it always has something interesting happening - flower buds,
> flowers, seedpods, new leaves. I cut off dead stems, but otherwise it
> needs almost no care. Nothing eats it. ( The only euphorbia the deer eat
> is E. mellifera). It doesn't roll up its leaves and look miserable if it
> is thirsty or cold. Not a star, not a prima donna, just a totally
> dependable, but interesting, plant.
>
> What is your old faithful plant?
>
> Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
> zone 8 cool mediterranean
Like you Diane,
I love my old Euphorbia characias ssp. Wulfenii. It's pleasing every day, but
especially today with our +first+ rain in Southern Calif. With the light misty
rain, it literally glistens a soft, irridescent blue. I even welcome the
volunteer seedlings which start to appear now with our first rains. I pull out
those in unwanted places and leave others to grow on until they get too big.
Last fall I planted a new one to me: E. characias 'Portuguese Velvet'.
Although it's still too young to know all about, I love the way it fits into
the garden. It seems to be a more compact grower with shorter, blunt-tipped
leaves. It has the same soft irridescence, but is greener with a definite
light mid-vein in the leaf. The tag ( from Native Sons, a California Wholesale
Nursery) says the adult height will be 1' to 2'. If so, it will be a smaller
grower than 'Wulfenii'. Does anyone else grow it? Have anything to pass on?
Jan
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Jan Smithen, gardening teacher
California Arboretum Foundation
jansmithen@earthlink.net
Sunset zone : 19
USDA zone : 10
Visit the California Arboretum homepage at :
http://www.arboretum.org/
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